Don’t hand over flats won in lottery, court tells housing authority

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday restrained MHADA from handing over possession to the allottees of its recent scheme, claimed the petitioner who challenged the allocation of 3,863 state built houses in the city.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday restrained Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) from handing over possession to the allottees of its recent scheme, claimed the petitioner who challenged the allocation of 3,863 state built houses in the city.

According to the petitioner’s advocate Ahmed Abdi, the division bench comprising Justice J.N. Patel and Justice R.P. Sondur-Baldota restrained the housing body from handing over the possession of the flats, which they had allotted by way of lottery system.

However, special counsel for MHADA, P.D. Ankleshwaria, told Hindustan Times that since the order copy was not available, she could not comment.

Vacha Sunder, legal advisor to MHADA, said he was present in the court but the order was inaudible when pronounced. “Wait till the order copy comes in a day or two,” he said.

Vaishali Wagh, PRO to MHADA, said that even though she had heard the news, she was unable to confirm it, as she had not seen the order copy. She added that at least till the time, they (MHADA) see the order copy, they will refrain from handing over possession.

The HC order came after a public interest litigation was filed by Gayasingh Yadav (80), ex-servicemen, seeking that the allotment of 3,853 flats by MHADA be scrapped.

The petition alleged that the entire lottery system was faulty. His lawyer, Abidi, had filed an additional affidavit in July pointing out that the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report had raised questions about the software used by MHADA for the lottery system in 2006 and 2007.